Mike Schneider: Appreciating Tony Hoagland (1953-2018) — Notes on “America”
From Tony Hoagland’s third book, What Narcissism Means to Me, his poem “America” flaps the self-loving flag of his marvelously ironical title. As Tony explained in a 2003 interview with Miriam Sagan, … Continue reading
Mike Schneider: Notes from the Palm Beach Poetry Festival
Blackface is in the news and — should anyone be interested in the details — instructions on “How to Black Up,” complete with recipe for burnt-cork face-paint can be found in Olio, Tyehimba Jess’ book that won the 2017 Pultizer Prize for poetry.
Mike Schneider: The Wages of Fracking
Amity and Prosperity, One Family and the Fracturing of America, by Eliza Griswold (Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, 2018). An accomplished, award-winning poet, Eliza Griswold also writes for The New … Continue reading
Mike Schneider: Faith, Poetry, and James Baldwin
Prague Writer’s Festival, 2017 1. America on the Hot Seat A large pleasure it was this November (10th through 16th) to visit Prague (with my friend Jan) as tourists, Americans … Continue reading
Mike Schneider: In the Post-Truth World
the game of truth or consequences has no consequence. What does it matter if insurance agents quote Thoreau? The mass of men still lead lives of quiet desperation. Guns are … Continue reading
Mike Schneider: Salem Hill Hymn Sing
“The Angel of Death is abroad in the land, only you can’t always hear the flutter of its wings.” — Winston Churchill, 1944 A screaming comes across the sky like … Continue reading
